The Rose
by dave-d
Summary: Occurs while Sousuke and Kaname are dating in college. All the young soldier wanted to do was buy her a dozen roses. That should be simple enough, right? [Modified some, 1-31-05]
1. Default Chapter

It was a chill morning.

A frigid wind proved tentative and capricious, blowing with biting force one moment, only to die down a few minutes later.

Leaves swirled about here and there. Passersby hugged their coats tightly against themselves, trying to conserve warmth. The clouds were low and pregnant looking-they promised rain.

**Hopefully the crowds would be small at his destination.**

Sousuke's mission was a _very_ important one. There was no back-up covering him. There would be no communications. The price for failure would be steep-_ very_ steep.

February 14.

_St. Valentine's Day. _

Usually, in Japan, only the **_women_** would present gifts. Men were expected to reciprocate on March 14, _"White Day"._ But, Kaname had spent a fair amount of time in the United States. She preferred _that _nation's incarnation of the lovers' holiday. That meant that

**Sousuke would prefer her view, if he knew what was good for him.**

He had already bought a number of boxes of sweets-Belgian truffles, Marzipan, and Kaname's favorite candied fruit slices. That bounty was safely hidden in his room. Kaname had not discovered the hiding place-if she had, the trap would have been sprung, and she would be wearing red paint for a day or three. Likewise, since the flash-bangs were still intact, she had not gone looking for the small and simple necklace he had picked out with Kyouko's and Ren's help.

_That left the flowers._

Kaname loved roses. Long stem red roses. Large bunches of them.

A brief sprinkling of rain blew against Sousuke's face. He shook his head. At least he didn't have any classes today. Kaname did, and that was in his favor. He should be able to strike quickly…… purchase what he wanted…… then return before Kaname was through with classes for the day.

While it was never put into writing, the professors at the University preferred that the two of them did not take the same course at the same time.

The damage had been minimal first and second semester, in _relative_ terms. No one had been killed. No buildings would need to be condemned. The student health services had been able to handle the resultant minor injuries and panic attacks.

Sousuke had not been in to visit with anyone in the Mithril Finance Division lately, but he knew that they might wan to burn him in effigy, if not in person. Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin had said that he could_ not_ guarantee Sousuke's safety. It had probably been a joke.

**Probably.**

He looked both ways before running across a busy intersection.

Sousuke would have ridden his bicycle, but that would prove impractical with a large long box of flowers. He would take a taxi on the way back, glad that Kaname would not be there to use her favorite method of signaling a cab. For now, he would walk, stretching out his muscles, and enjoying the sights, sounds, and smells of the city.

He felt the weight of his weapons in his overcoat pockets, a small hindrance on his stroll. He had considered leaving them behind, as Kaname was not with him. But, he had been in a hurry.

Finally, he reached his destination. The flowers in **_this_** store were top notch. Because he had rescued the young ladies who worked there from a robber once, he received a large discount when he shopped. But, since the store had required significant renovations, the owner went into the back to lay down whenever Sousuke walked in.

"Mr. Sagara, so nice to see you again. I am certain that Mr. Kasiwara would have been honored to greet you, but he just now had a phone call from his sick mother. How may we help you?" The young women competed to see who could stand at the counter in front of heir erstwhile savior.

**They had still not gotten over their crushes.**

"May I have a dozen long stem red roses, please. Wrapped with fern and Baby's Breath." Sousuke knew exactly what he wanted.

"Oh, I'm so _very_ sorry. But we are out of red roses. Would you be interested in white, pink, or yellow? Other cut blossoms?" One young woman looked saddened. The other had gone into the back room.

"No, red is a necessity. I hope that you have a fine day today. Perhaps I will be more fortunate next time." As Sousuke turned to leave, the other young lady came running, carrying an open can of paint.

"Wait. Oh, _please_ wait! If you like, I could paint the white roses red for you..." In her great hurry, she missed sight of a large fold in the carpet. Catching her foot, she fell, flinging the paint can upward.

_Paint spilled as the container tumbled._

Sousuke's reactions were swift, the sign of a true professional. He avoided most of the paint. _Most._ A long streak of red ran from the middle of his pressed grey shirt down to the belt loops of his favorite European style slacks.

This was Kaname's favorite outfit on him.

**The day was not starting off the way he had hoped!**

"Oh. Mr. Sagara. I am **_so-o-o-o-o_** sorry!" The clumsy young woman began bowing repeatedly, backing away from Sousuke. Not looking where she was going, she was headed for a tall free-standing shelf displaying aristic arrangements of cacti and succulents, including a good number of grafted plants with red tops.

It was apropos.

_Red is the color of danger._

"Wait, Miss…… behind you." Sousuke moved to stop the store worker. He was too late. The shelf unit split in two, spilling a spike-rich avalanche of plants down upon the well-intentioned young soldier. Dirt covered his head and shoulder, the potting loam emitting a strong earthy odor. Needles and spines stuck out of his exposed forearms, making him look like he had porcupine blood somewhere in his family tree.

It was uncomfortable, to say the least.

The young woman was mortified. Her co-worker did her best to conceal her amusement. She **_knew_** who the young man's favorite must be now. Sousuke assured both that he was OK. They offered to run out to a rival flower shop and buy the roses for him, but he told them it was unnecessary. He must respect the safety of that shop.

**These girls were dangerous.**

The soil brushed off and the needles extracted, Sousuke continued on his journey undaunted. He ignored the curious looks he received from onlookers. His luck changed for the better. He avoided the water that fell from a window washer's rig. The growling dog chose someone else's pants to savage. The woman who was too intent at staring was the one who fell down the open man hole.

_There were the sounds of a commotion coming from a block or two ahead._

Sousuke could hear shouting. Then he heard the sound of loud laughter, and small metallic wheels turning. He turned quickly. A group of truant teenagers, with punked-out hair and neon clothes, rode quickly down the sidewalk, shooting the pedestrians and cars with paintball pistols.

This is **_way_** too dangerous! Sousuke thought. Best I put a stop to this _immediately._

The young Mithril soldier took up position behind a tree. There was no way he was going to get into any more mishaps today. Whipping out his pistol in a smooth practiced motion, he placed shots with metronomic timing.

**Bang! **

The front wheel was shot off of the first speeding board.

**Bang! **

Another board, another wheel gone.

**Bang! Bang! Bang! **

A third board cracked in half down the middle.

**Bang bang! **

A small tree limb fell from a sturdy maple, tripping up another boarder and sending him airborne.

_Not a single paintball was fired in Sousuke's direction._

All Hell broke loose in rapid succession. The first board scooted on its own into traffic, catching an elderly woman by surprise. Reaching frantically for the brake pedal, she stomped on the accelerator by mistake. Fortunately, after passing through the bistro window, the vehicle stopped before it ran down the first table of startled diners.

_The first punk bowled over a young boy carrying a rather agitated young cat._

The second board rolled harmlessly down the street. Its rider wind-milled his arms, trying to regain his balance. He stepped on the fleeing cat and stumbled into traffic, his eyes growing unbelievably large when he saw a large truck bearing down on him. The vehicle's driver hit the brakes hard, bringing the truck to an emergency stop.

The car behind him was not so fortunate, plowing into the rear of the cargo hauler. The impact snapped a number of restraining wires, allowing the truck's cargo to fall free. Three portable toilets slid off the back of the transport pallet, spilling their contents on the car and the surrounding street.

_The cat, splashed, was none too happy._

The third punk's momentum left him running forward. He ran hard into the tree Sousuke was using as a shield. Bent over and breathing hard, he noticed Sousuke's fancy loafers. He hated fancy loafers. Smiling, he took a can of spray paint out of his backpack.

"One pair of psychedelic shoes coming up, Mr. Big Man On Campus College Boy Jerk!"

Before he knew it, he was flung streetward, landing in a spreading puddle of raw sewage. The irate cat hissed and scratched him across the cheek. The last remaining _Port-a- Pot_, teetering on the edge for all this time, finally lost its battle and fell, clobbering the stunned miscreant.

The fourth troublemaker landed on a small wheeled dumpster, just about to be loaded onto a waiting garbage truck. The container rolled down the sidewalk, picking up speed with every passing moment. It veered out into the street, causing car after car to weave, honk its horn, or slam on its brakes.

Cars rear-ended each other. A motorcyclist was launched skyward after running up a broken bench on the sidewalk. He bounced off the roof of a city councilman's limo before coming to rest in the arms of a famous city statue.

A bus knocked down the fancy iron gate of an upscale Apartment building. A young girl let go of her balloon. Two frightened pigeons took to the wing, leaving a sloppy calling card on the head of a man walking his dog.

_The dog caught sight of the streaking cat and pulled himself free._

Their parents should be reprimanded severely Sousuke thought. All that trouble because of inappropriate behavior. They really**_ should_** be in school.

Glad to have escaped unsullied, the young operative continued his walk down the sidewalk. Walking towards him, the pizza delivery man carried too many boxes to see the danger in front of him. Sighing with relief at the sight of his destination, he considered himself blessed to have carried the ten boxes as far as he had, without having both arms break off at the shoulders. Putting his weight on an unseen skateboard, he slipped backward, launching his boxes.

**Pizza and toppings rained down from the sky.**

Again, Sousuke's reactions were marvelous, resembling something out of _'The Matrix.'_ No one else could have avoided looking like a walking commercial for _Pizza Hut_. Still, two sloppy slices came crashing down on his shirt, continuing the damage started at the flower shop.

If Kaname were here, he thought, she'd probably blame **_me_** for everything that happened. And, she'd dress me down for getting my shirt messy. Looks like I'm going to have to stop at my place and change when I'm done. I had better hurry.

Sousuke took off at a brisk jog. To his good fortune, he was gone when the police arrived. No one had taken good notice of him.

_Authorities were soon looking for the cat._

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

The walk to the next florist went without any further untoward circumstances.

The bell rang cheerfully as Sousuke walked into the ornately decorated establishment. He had ducked into the restroom at a convenience store to clean himself up as much as possible, but he still looked somewhat stained and disheveled. The anteroom was crowded. A number of people looked at Sousuke and snickered.

**A couple of older women stepped back in concern.**

"I'm sorry, but we do _not_ allow vagrants in here, young man. If you are looking for handouts, please do so _away_ from this shop." The woman behind the counter picked up a telephone, in case the scarred young man put up any kind of resistance to her request. "We do not sell alcohol, if that is what you are looking for. This is a florist. We sell _**flowers.**"_  
_  
"Madame?"_ Sousuke was puzzled. He often looked worse than this after missions…… or when he forgot to get Kaname flowers.

No matter.

"I am quite aware that this is a florist. It is why I walked all of the way here, to purchase a dozen long-stemmed red roses. Unfortunately, I have run into a string of bad luck-doused with paint, covered with potting soil, nearly caught in the middle of an accident, and pelted with pizza."

"You're not here to cause trouble?" The woman still looked skeptical.

"Furthest thing from it, Madame. I'll be in trouble if I **_don't_** get the flowers!" He showed her the contents of his wallet.

The woman stared at Sousuke a moment longer and decided to take him at his word. She sent one of her assistants into the refrigerated room to collect the roses. "So, these are for your young lady, I take it? _She_ has high expectations of _you _on Valentine's Day?"

"She has high expectations **_every_** day!" Sousuke made an attempt at a smile. He was working on that. "Some days, it proves very wise to live up to those expectations." Sousuke grimaced when the woman pulled out a few of the cactus spikes still caught in his left arm.

"Ever try and kiss a porcupine?" Sousuke asked the woman.

"Can't say that I have..." The woman smiled. She knew exactly what he meant. There had been times when _she_ had suddenly grown a coat of quills.

"I do not recommend it." Sousuke looked over at the returning assistant, her hands empty. That was probably bad news, unless someone else in the back room was wrapping up roses.

_The assistant whispered into the ear of the woman behind the counter._

"I'm afraid that I must add to your list of woes, young man. We are out of red roses, and don't expect a shipment for two days. I am **_truly_** sorry. I hope you manage to reach your next stop safely." She gave Sousuke the name of another flower shop further down the avenue.

**Before Sousuke could put his hand on the door knob, the door pulled open quickly.**

A large man dressed in denim pants and a tattered martial arts robe pushed past the younger man. He walked quickly towards the young woman who had checked on the flowers for Sousuke.

"Yuri. I **_knew_** I'd find you here. I told you if you didn't come back by today, you should keep on running! _Let's go."_ Without warning, he slapped the girl, then grabbed her roughly by the arm.

The woman behind the counter slowly reached for the phone. The angry man took notice and produced a sai out of his robes. "This is none of your business. Do you want to _make_ it your business?" The crazed look in his eyes froze her.

The violent man looked around the room. "Anyone here want to get in my way? It's a good place to do it, if you have any stupid ideas. They can pick out the flowers for your funeral while you're laying on the floor." No one made a sound. No one moved.

**Except for Sousuke.**

"Do you wish to make a phone call, Madame?" Sousuke made eye contact, nodding. "I assure that the man will _not_ bother you while you do so." Sousuke turned to the frightened young assistant. "It is not my intention to get caught up in your personal squabbles, Miss. But, I will say that the statistics regarding women and abusive partners is **_very_** unfavorable."

"There's always one in the crowd." The man took a tonfa out from under his robe. "Before long, there is always one _less_. I think I will do you left-handed. It won't be much of a challenge if I do you right-handed."

Smiling, the man struck swiftly, lashing out with the tonfa. Missing a dodging Sousuke, the club went on to knock a large wooden panel loose from the door. "Let's do this sportsmanlike. You stand still, so I can beat the living crap out of you without working up too much of a sweat."

"Sir, might I suggest we step outside. The people in here have done nothing to you. You seem to have a grievance against _me_, not the shop." Sousuke opened the broken door.

_The man ignored him for the moment._

"Says who? They let her work here. That's enough for **_me!_**" The man pushed his ex-girlfriend hard against a glass case, fracturing the window. He made a kissing face at a quivering old woman, causing her to collapse to the floor in fear. Picking up a vase, he cocked his arm back, intending to throw it at the woman calling the police.

**Sousuke grabbed his wrist.**

"I must apologize, Madame. I do _not_ wish to cause any further destruction of your fine shop." Sousuke was very skilled, but the man was too strong and too heavy to immobilize effectively. Things were going to escalate rapidly. If he were willing to kill the man, things could be resolved in a short time, with little collateral damage.

"But, if I stand by idly, who can say what might happen next." His words were very grim.

The angry man proved he was by no means a slouch at the martial arts. Executing _sutemi waza,_ a sacrifice technique, he used Sousuke's momentum to his own benefit. Attempting to perform _o surama_, he began to pull him into a wheel throw around his waist.

_He would attempt to break Sousuke's neck with the tonfa when he hit the floor._

Thrown off his feet, Sousuke struck a dapper gentleman, knocking him into the other room, not seeing him land in a large pile of cut flower stems.

**The crashing sound of a nearby table full of vases was punctuated by the tinkle of breaking glass.  
**  
Sousuke caught the descending stick in his two hands, flexing his wrist to disarm the larger man. Coffee trickled off of his hair and sleeve, courtesy of the cup the well-dressed man had dropped.

"Oh _ho_, the little dog has teeth. This might be interesting after all. _**Might.**"_ Before he had finished talking, the man upended a large display of gifts and flower arrangements, sending a heavy wooden table towards Sousuke, intending to pin him against the far wall.

Timing things well, Sousuke swung up and vaulted over the table, using the "Tiger's Mouth" fist to ram the knuckle of his first finger hard between his opponent's eyes. The crazed assailant stumbled backward, cutting his arm badly as he crashed partway through a fancy stained glass window.

"You die, **_now!_** " The angry man shouted, blood tracking down his arm. He took a wicked hook knife out of his robe. Bunching his shoulders, he signaled his intention to charge.

"That is incorrect." Sousuke took up his pistol in two hands. He shot the knife from the man's hand. Flipping through the air, the knife embedded itself in the polished countertop.

The tip of one finger missing, the violent man grasped one hand in the other, grimacing in pain. There was something new in his eyes, and it was growing in intensity.

**Fear. **

He got down on his knees, intending to plead for his life. No words came out when he opened his mouth. Sousuke put his taser to good use.

"Madame, were you able to reach the police?" Sousuke sighed, looking at the coffee stains.

_The stunned woman nodded her head._

"Good. They should be here shortly. This gentleman should be out until them." Sousuke paused briefly, noting with slight disdain that his shirt was torn. "If you wish to ensure even greater safety, I suggest that you bind his arms and legs with that strong twine you have over there. Running a line from around his backwardly flexed legs to his neck might prove effective. You might wish to wrap his finger, so the blood does not stain your nice floor."

The woman nodded her head again, unable to speak.

"My apologies for reacting defensively. I did not wish to kill the man. It no doubt prolonged the damage occurring to your shop. It is certainly a burden to be civilized. But, there are benefits to being domesticated. Or, so I've been told..."

_With that, Sousuke left the shop and headed on his way._

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

The walk to the third shop was uneventful.

That is, unless someone were to consider a confrontation with a bunch of drunken yakuza noteworthy. Sousuke did not.

**Gangs were becoming rather passe. **

The third shop was out of red roses too. The young Mithril sergeant, still seeking his fragrant Holy Grail, left that shop unharmed-he and the shop, _both._

Finally, just as the clouds grew tired of waiting and released stinging torrents of rain, good fortune smiled on Sousuke. Water pouring out of his pants leg, he walked into the fourth shop, a small but quaint room tucked in between an adult book store and a steam Laundromat. His loafers squeaking, he approached the counter with some trepidation.

_Not only did he have to deal with the rain, but he also was running out of time. _

"Sir, would you perchance have any long-stem red roses?"

The man looked at Sousuke and smiled. "She must **_really_** mean something to you young man, coming out in a deluge like this. I wish I could reward dedication like _that_, but I just sold my last dozen a couple of minutes ago-…… just before the clouds opened up. I don't wish to dampen your spirit further….. but, had you considered asking to have the flowers _delivered?"_

Sousuke hung his head. He felt as if he had been hit across the back of the head with a lead pipe.

**Delivery. **

Why hadn't he thought about _that?_ Probably because it brought him personal satisfaction to do things in person. But, he **_could_** have contacted a _lot_ of shops by phone, instead of taking so much time to stop in four stores.

"Yes, Sir. But I hadn't thought that I'd run into any difficulty. Once I got caught up in the search..."

The bell of the front door of the shop rang. A man walked in.

"Hey, Matoko you old cheapskate, have any need for more roses?" The middle-aged man pointed outside to the flower delivery truck idling at the curb, blinkers flashing. "I have a couple dozen left over from the shops up town. They're not moving much stuff today."

The shop owner chuckled.

"It's a shame you asked **_me_** first, Hideki. I'll take what you have, at the usual price. But, if you had asked this young gamecock first, I bet **_he_** would have given you every penny he had."

When the initial transaction was accomplished, the shopkeeper sold a dozen long stem roses to Sousuke. "I have some sturdy plastic in the back. I ought to be able to make something that will keep the rain off the flowers." True to his word, he returned ten minutes later with a box of flowers wrapped in clear clinging plastic.

Sousuke smiled. All it took was perseverance. That, and a stout heart. Things were looking up!

**Somewhat. **

The store owner called the taxi service for him, but the dispatcher reported that no cabs were available: most had been caught up in a traffic jam caused by some skater punks.

Bracing himself, Sousuke headed back out into the rain. He clutched the roses as if he were carrying the most valuable cargo in the world.

_Or, the most dangerous._

** x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

It had been a while since Sousuke had seen sideways rain.

The wind tugged strongly at the large plastic wrapped box he carried, but he tugged back stronger still. His shoes were filled with water. The trickle of rain down his neck and back no longer registered. If he had to swim home, he would gladly swim. He had what he wanted.

No.

**He had what he needed. **

What was it that pilots often said? _Any landing you can walk away from is a good landing._ He could appreciate that sentiment. He couldn't wait to get his wheels on the ground, figuratively speaking.

Still, there was a good bit of walking left. That, and a good bit of weather. The rain might not have been an impediment, but the new onset of lightning was ominous. Sousuke felt somewhat uneasy when the first thunderclap rang out, shaking the loose windows of a nearby café.

Glowing bolts of electricity snaked their way to the ground just beyond a distant row of buildings. Their intense light left an afterimage in Sousuke's vision. More thunder rolled across the sodden city blocks.

A few blocks further along his way, Sousuke heard a loud noise that was **_not_** thunder. A frightening impact followed the sound of automobile horns. Approaching the next intersection, he noted that the stoplights were dark, no doubt related to the electrical storm.

Someone had approached the crossing without the caution such a situation required. As a result, a tangled mass of metal marked the spot where two cars had collided, joined by three others. Gasoline ran down the water filled street, forming a rainbow-colored coating on the fast moving gutter streams. One horn called out with a non-stop plaintive cry, its mechanism jammed. A wheel cover spun down the road, buffeted by gust of wind and rain. An arm hung limply out of a shattered side window. An engine began to smolder, broken fuel pump spraying petrol on hot metal.

**There was no time to call for emergency assistance.**

Sousuke moved quickly to offer assistance. He placed his box of flowers on a city bench and ran to the most heavily damaged vehicle. The next minutes were a blur to him, as he checked pulses, carefully removed bodies from cars in danger of catching fire, applied first aid, and helped direct traffic around the deadly accident. His day's adventures suddenly felt insignificant. He would be happy just finding Kaname alive when he made it to her apartment.

_Of course, he would be happier-and she would be happier-if he made it there with the roses.  
_  
Ambulances and fire trucks arrived with the flashing of lights, the din of sirens, and the great honking of air horns. One rescue vehicle had been driving too fast, unable to stop in time when a Good Samaritan stumbled into its path. Veering, the small truck missed the concerned citizen and demolished a row of benches.

His clothes covered with other peoples' blood and other body fluids, Sousuke walked over to the damaged benches. The flower box was buried under a pile of wood, metal, and extruded plastics. Moving the rubble, he found the box was somewhat tattered and torn, but generally intact. The plastic was very much worse for wear. A couple of crooked and broken stems stuck out through the punctured covering.

Taking temporary shelter under a large tree, Sousuke carefully examined the box and its contents. Three flowers were completely ruined. The other nine were in decent condition.

Sloshing through the water once more, Sousuke kept repeating "any landing you can walk away from...any landing you can walk away from..."

He looked at his watch and shook his head. Even if he ran, he might not make it in time.

_Kaname's last class should be over before too much longer._


	2. chapter 2

Leaves slapped Sousuke in the face as he walked.

If anything, the wind had gotten stronger. The lightning was now benind him. A number of garbage cans rolled by him. Bits of refuse floated swiftly down the rushing currents of water on the street.

It wasn't a dreary or nasty day for _everyone_. A small group of children ran about happily, with and without umbrellas, their parents keeping an uneasy eye on the progress of the lightning. There was all manner of jumping and splashing about. Paper boats sailed on to watery oblivion.

A ball rolled out into the street.

**A small boy followed.**

Sousuke watched, as if seeing things in slow motion.

Great wings of water were kicked up by a speeding sedan, the driver's vision terribly obscured despite the hyperactive efforts of the windshield wipers.

Looking up, the boy saw his doom rushing in upon him. He was too young to know what death meant. A frightened parent screamed. A number of adults jumped to their feet, too far away to make any difference.

Dropping his box, Sousuke dove for the by, grabbing him by one small ankle. With Herculean effort, he tugged the boy out of harms way. The boy was scraped, scared, and bawling…..but, he was obviously alive.

After receiving the thanks and admiration of the small crowd, Sousuke started back on his way. The he stopped. He was forgetting something….

**The flowers! **

Turning, he saw the disintegrating package floating swiftly towards a large overworked storm gutter, the froth of water at its mouth looking like a veritable passageway to Hell.

Had Sousuke been a sprinter on the track team, he might be able to explain the burst of speed he put on then. Sliding on his belly, kicking up a large wake as if he were a rushing speedboat, he managed to grab the edge of the box with his fingertips. It fell apart.

The flowers floated individually towards the gaping maw.

Somehow, Sousuke managed to snag six of the flowers, relieved to see that they were wet, but intact. One by one, the others disappeared from view, their stems sticking up like the stern of the Titanic as they went down.

_Sousuke began to give serious thought to the concept of karma._

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

His skin showing through the large rips on his shirt, Sousuke probed his ribs.

Maybe a fracture or two. Unlikely, but possible. No obvious breaks. A pulled intercostal muscle or three. A few nasty abrasions. Nothing too drastic. The little boy was safe. That was what counted.

Taking brief respite under an awning, Sousuke thought about the day's events. He was usually not one to offer excuses. Even if he were, who would believe what he had been through so far? In any case, the ordeal was almost over-he was less than fifteen minutes walk from his apartment.

**What more could possibly happen? **

For some reason, he thought of the Ancient Mariner. What harm could come from shooting an albatross? It took a strong act of will to start walking again.

Fate is a funny thing. Fate, and coincidence.

Before he had any idea of what was going on, Sousuke could see red and blue lights dancing on the windows of the houses and buildings a couple of blocks down the street. There was no doubt what that meant.

Police.

Out in large numbers.

There were two general options available to him at that given moment. He could continue forward, passing by the site of activity ahead. Or, he could take a number of side streets and alleyways, bypassing the area of involvement.

It was a good time for adages. Sousuke chose to go with this one: _the shortest distance_ _between two points is a straight line._ Yes, any bullet could tell him that. He would have done better to go with another saying: _Curiosity killed the cat._

He **_did _**want to know what was going on. Looking at the bedraggled flowers, he hoped he wouldn't somehow get involved.

There were voices speaking over a megaphone. He could not make out what was being said. As he walked by a large number of parked police cruisers, he could also make out some of the messages coming through on the activated radio units.

_It appeared that some criminal groups were much like the boy scouts: eternally prepared._

The loss of electricity……and the resultant loss in alarms…… had proven a major temptation for one such gaggle of professionals. Telephone lines had gone dead, too. That was another temptation too strong to resist.

It was easy enough to conjecture that the group had a police scanner and was well aware of the accident caused by the power outage; the disturbance with the yakusa; a violent domestic episode at a flower shop; and a snarl-up in traffic caused by a group of street punks.

**Much of the police force had been tied up.**

The opportunistic gang of thieves had struck simultaneously at a bank and adjacent jewelry store. By bad fortune, they had been trapped within both locations when a group of patrolmen had stopped to grab a number of doughnuts and cups of coffees from a shop on the same avenue.

A nasty hostage situation quickly ensued. Security guards had been shot and were in likely critical condition. A brief gunfight had left wounded officers pinned down in the street. Plastic explosives earmarked for the bank vault had been worked into a makeshift weapon, blowing the wheel off of the only armored response vehicle in that area of the city.

One of the new miniature Arm Slaves was on the scene, dropped off by a foolhardy but brave helicopter pilot. But, there was a problem. The only certified police A.S. pilots were caught up in traffic.

The criminals had called out with additional news. A pregnant woman had gone into early labor. An elderly man was down, sweating heavily, clutching his chest. A child had accidently wandered into the line of fire. He was losing a lot of blood. A cat had run into the jewelry store.

_It was stuck in a small strongbox, only its tail still showing._

Sousuke walked on. He held on to the earliest growth of a new idea, looking for the fruit of his plan. Men and women in Kevlar jackets ran about. A line of patrolmen was forming, short stubby tear gas guns in hand. Snipers were taking up position. It looked as if someone had decided to get this thing over quickly. One way or another.

By the look of it, the evildoers had no chance at escape.

**That meant that things looked grim for the hostages.**

Someone was looking to play a bastardized game of _Pick Up Sticks._ Throw everything out, then see what could be picked up in one grabbing fist. The sticks that were left behind? Their fate was sealed!

That was **_not_** the way that Jackstraws was meant to be played. The game could trace its roots back to Native Americans, who played it with straws of wheat. Each stick was decorated differently than the others. After the pile was tossed, one stick at a time was supposed to be taken out, without disturbing any of the others.

_This impending police action would disturb a lot of sticks._

Sousuke could not help but think of a Biblical reference, 'the casting of lots.' Jonah had been selected by that method. He had ended up in the belly of a great whale.

**If Sousuke's plan panned out, he would end up inside a much different kind of 'beast.'**

The casting of lots could be 'fixed,' just the way dice and other games of chance could be today. He intended to 'fix' things on the side of the hostages.

The young soldier walked through an ever growing mass of spectators and journalists. He searched until he finally found just what he was looking for. It had been left alone, unguarded, currently useless. A small number of children looked at it, wondering if they should laugh or be afraid. A few old men, finished discussing their recollections of battle, offered disparaging remarks.

In **_their_** day, they would have run in carrying a couple of rifles……with bayonets, of course…… and run down the whole lot of those dirty bastards.

The hatch on the Bont-kun derived unit was closed. Punching a number into a small keypad, Sousuke rectified that situation. A long hiss of compressed air escaped as the front to the grey A.S. slowly opened. He climbed in, first making certain that no cameramen were in view.

**_IS THAT YOU, DAVE?_** a detached mechanical voice issued forth from unseen speakers,

"Negative. Begin self-diagnostics, Bonta-Kun." Lights flashed on and off on the control panel. A restraining harness was unlocked, allowing Sousuke to secure himself in the pilot's chair.

**_SELF-DIAGNOSTICS COMPLETED. NO PROBLEMS IDENTIFIED. PLEASE ENTER PASSWORD_**

Sousuke entered the master code. It would suffice, unless the manufacturers had corrupted the original programming.

**_OPERATING SYSTEMS INITIALIZING. PLEASE ENTER NAME AND RANK. LOWER CASE LETTERS WILL SUFFICE.  
_**  
s...o...u...s...u...k...e...s...a...g...a...r...a was typed in promptly. No rank was necessary.

**_WELCOME. YOU ARE THE CREATOR. YOU ARE THE SAGARA. BK-M5 ACTIVE AND READY FOR START-UP._**

"Begin start-up procedure."

**_START-UP COMMENCING. PLEASE AWAIT PROMPTS TO ENTER MOVEMENT TOLERANCE PREFERNCES AND FORCE PARAMETERS. SELECT COMBAT INTENSITY LEVEL._**

Sousuke typed in the selections appropriate to this situation.

**_VALUES ACCEPTED. URBAN COMBAT PACKAGE DOWNLOADED. START-UP COMPLETE. INITIALIZING SYSTEMS CHECK. ALL VECTRONICS ARE ACTIVE. ALL ACTUATORS ARE GO. FINAL CHECK PROCEEDING. GREEN LIGHT. GREEN LIGHT. GREEN LIGHT. ALL SYSTEMS ARE READY, CREATOR. THE ENEMY MUST BE STERILIZED.  
_**  
"Agreed, A.I. Configure for Safety Mode _A._ Destructive Level _6_ for any person holding a scannable weapon. Automatic fire of area suppression devices disengaged. Avoidance Level _10_ for any unarmed persons. Manual override in **_all_** circumstances."  
**_  
WORKING. PARAMETERS SET, CREATOR._**

"Very good. Let us begin."

Sousuke toggled the zoom function on the optical scanners. He looked at a forlorn group of roses laying on the ground. No. I will **_not_** leave them unattended again, he thought. One hand should be all that is needed for combat.

_Very carefully, the Bonta-Kun A.S. was maneuvered to pick up the six remaining flowers._

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

The external microphones on the A.S. picked up the conversations of cameramen as it ran by them.

"In the name of God, what **_is_** that thing? A giant rat? It's sure as shit too ugly to be a mouse!"

"No, it's a monkey bear...pig. I think. Was it holding... flowers?"

"What the Hell are you two degenerates talking about? Have you been drinking on assignment, **_again!_**? If so, why have you been holding out….. heh heh heh…"

A loud series of cheers broke out as the Bonta-Kun passed by well-ordered lines of law enforcement officers. They recognized the contraption.

"Go get'em!"

"**_All RIGHT!_** Looks like one of those guys made it here after all."

"Yeehaw. It's time for the good guys to kick some ass!"

Two missiles jumped out of a metal backpack on the BK-M5, roaring to life. Streaking along the storefront area, the two guided projectiles dropped a series of fast-acting smoke grenades. Soon, a seething cloud of smoke totally obscured the stores.

_The large rat-monkey-bear-pig thing disappeared from view._

"**_SHIT!_** Looks like we have to use our imaginations from here on in," a disgruntled newsman spat, lowering his large shoulder-carried camera.

"I thought we already _had_ been!" his companion quipped.

Sousuke paid no attention to that kind of drivel. He was trying to pick out any conversation between hostage takers. So far, all he had heard was exclamations of surprise, anger, and fear. That, and a large amount of cursing. There had been no verbal threats to the captives yet.

_It was time to see what this powered suit could do in the hands of a master._

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Sosuke watched the digital readout on the BK-M5's master panel. It showed the time, ticking away.

_Tick...tick...tick..._

He had too move **_quickly_**. There wasn't a lot of time before the enemy got restless. Or desperate. When_ that_ happened, who could say what they might do to the hostages.  
_  
Tick...tick...tick..._

He could picture Kaname. Her class had been over for a short while already. She would be walking up the stone path to his apartment building about now, struggling to keep her umbrella from collapsing in the heartless gusts of wind.

**When she got there...knocked on his door...and got no answer...**

"A.I., initiate high frequency thermal scan. Overlap with ultrasonic mapping. Display the number of beating hearts in the two target areas. Prepare adhesive charges."

**_WORKING. WORKING. OPERATIONS COMPLETED. DATA AVAILABLE. SCAN ON SCREEN. READY TO LAY EXPLOSIVES_**.

Caps over multiple tubes near the oversized wrist joints slid aside. Puddy-like material slid out near the opening.  
_  
Tick...tick...tick..._

"Let's go, Bonta-Kun!"

Sousuke used the computer mouse to outline a shape on the computer screen. The dimensions were slightly larger than the A.S. He clicked on 'Enter.' The BK-M5 walked automatically to the side wall of the bank. Arms moving, the puddy-like explosive oozed out under pressure, painting the prescribed shape on that wall.

"Place detonators."

The tips of a number of the mechanical ringers folded back. Faster than the eye could follow, small radio-controlled metal cores shot out, embedding themselves in the plastique.

"Retreat to a safe distance, Bonta-kun."

**_IT IS DONE, CREATOR._**

"Detonate."

**_SIGNAL SENT._**

Chips of brick, stone, and stucco flew about, thrown with great velocity by the explosives. The outlined shape slowly tipped over, falling into the bank.

_Tick...tick...tick..._

"Let's go!

**_Fumo fumo fumoffu!_**

Sousuke threw his arms forward and moved his feet. The BK-M5 quickly reached top speed. Passing through the opening, Sousuke vaulted the obstructing debris, bringing a large automatic shotgun around in one mechanical hand.

Good thing it is auto-loading, he thought, thankful.

_The roses bent back slightly, the motion of the A.S. causing them to meet a modicum of wind resistance._

_**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**  
_

The scene inside the bank was tense.

The cornered criminals were about to fight like trapped animals often did…… doing the most damage they could with their fangs and claws. If they were going down, they were going to take a lot of people down with them.

**Starting with the captives.**

That smokescreen meant something was up.

"Let's do it, lads!" the leader of the group pulled a World War Two vintage pistol out of its holster. It was one of the first items he had stolen as a youth. He turned to face the cowering group of employees and customers.

_Who should he choose first?_

An explosion knocked him and his comrades off their feet. As if watching a videotape on 'Slo mo,' they saw a section of wall break loose and start to fall. A number of expensive paintings and a finely woven tapestry were destroyed as the mass of stone and brick collapsed on top of a man with an assault rifle. Only his hand remained visible.

It twitched, then lay still.

"Did those bastards pump a hallucinogenic gas in here?" One thug could not believe what he saw. Some large **_thing _**leaped into the bank. It defied description. Bringing around his submachine gun, the last sight he ever saw was a large red stain blossoming on his shirt. Falling, his lifeless hand spasmed, sending a stream of bullets towards the back of the room.

_A rococo statue-the sweat and toil of a local artist-shattered into a myriad of small pieces._

**_Fumo Fumo Fumo_**

_"GET THAT F-CKING THING!"_ A large man, the 'muscle' for the gang, brought a S.A.W. around, its belt rapidly shortening as the bullets were used up at a prodigious rate. "To think those assholes laughed at me for bringing this. _Overkill my ass!"_

The thug's muscles strained as he swung his gun around. _"WASTE IT!"_ Sparks flew as the armor-piercing rounds chipped away at the exterior of the BK-M5, doing little damage. _"WHAT THE..."_ His exclamation was cut short as a line of red spots began moving up his leg, the limb threatening to detach from the rest of his body.

_The concerted fire of the other criminals had no more success than he had._

A mechanical voice could be heard:

**_FIRE CEASING. FRIENDLIES IN THE LINE OF FIRE. _**

Sure enough, the movement of the large man had placed him between Sousuke and a huddled group of young women.

**_"CEASE THIS YOU SHIT-EATING MOUSE!"_** About to pass out, the man took advantage of the situation to resume his machine gun fire. Once again, the bullets did little to the BK-M5's armor plating.

_They did, however, knock the top off of a rose in its left hand._

Sousuke saw red. Literally. Rose petals floated down to the floor.

**_Fumo!_**

"A.I. Switch to destructive level _10!"_

**_COMPLYING, CREATOR. DONE._**

Deflecting bullets, the BK-M5's hand grasped the Squad Automatic Weapon. Closing its fingers, the M249 was twisted like a pretzel. A violent jerk of Sousuke's arm led to a similar movement from Bonta-Kun. The headless attacker fell backward, blood fountaining from its severed neck.

_The head, a shocked expression on its face, landed in the middle of a large and fancy centerpiece of silk flowers_.

There was no room for kindness here. The perpetrators needed to be erased, quickly.

Two of the robbers were of a quicker mind than the others. They ran amongst the captives, remembering what the mechanical voice had said. They held their guns to the heads of am elderly man and a young boy holding a stuffed Mr. Chupi doll.

"You back that thing off **_now,_** or we send brains flying!"

"Bonta-Kin. Query. Radar lock capability, present? If so, define."

**_PINPOINT ACCURACY, CREATOR. LASER AIMING BACKUP SLAVED TO RADAR. HIT PROBABILITY IN THE HIGH NINETIES.  
_**  
"Disengage all safeties. Head shots on gun-wielders. Do it. _Now!"_

**_AYE!_**

Lights darkened on the control panel.

**_Fumo FUMOFFU!_**

The A.S. moved on its own. Two gunshots rang out. Sabot rounds punched two clean wholes through the foreheads of the 'wiser' assailants. Their exit from the back of each head was accompanied by a great splash of brain matter and skull fragments. The wall behind them looked like a grotesque work of modern art.

The other criminals were clustered tightly together at the rear of the bank, willing to risk the rear door. Something large and round bounced at their feet.

Sousuke had pushed the 'Grenade' button, launching a lollipop-shaped projectile from the BK-M5's backpack. The launching rod detached, allowing the round warhead to continue on alone.

Sousuke was taken aback. _The police had H.E. chambered?_ He had expected a _Stun_ grenade. No matter. The results were completely positive, just the same. Fortunately, the captives were unscathed. The human cost of the captives could **_not_** be replaced.

The absent rear wall _could_ be.

**_Fumo fumo fumo. Fumo. Fumo fumo. Fumoffu!_**

The captives remained unmoving, a look of utter incomprehension on their faces.

Sousuke went to smack himself on the forehead. The BK-M5 copied his action, slamming its left hand against its head unit. A rose head snapped off and slid past the external cameras to the ground.

_Cursing, the Sousuke toggled on 'normal amplified voice.'_

"Attention please. The threat has been removed. Call the authorities by phone, so you may leave safely, and they may send in medical assistance. I must affect rescue on the adjacent store. Please seek cover immediately. There will be another explosion."

The erstwhile captives hustled to comply. Before being pulled under cover by his aunt, a young boy stood and saluted the BK-M5. The A.S. saluted in return.

**_Fumo fumo fumo fumo fumo fumo_**

The Arm Slave ran towards the intact dividing wall. More explosive was extruded. The detonators were placed. The wall gave way to the massive detonation.

After the strange machine passed from view, young children ran to the center of the room, collecting rose petals in their small hands.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Sousuke felt as if he were moving at quarter-normal speed.

Time was no longer important. He was already past due. His goal was important. The lives of the people in the jewelry store were important. The _roses_ were important.

**Only four left... **

He forced his mind back to the task at hand. Given the implications of his sudden appearance, he hoped the robbers would simply concede and give up.

For their sake. For their captives' sake.

_For the flowers' sake._

The plaster fell like snow, leaving a heavy coating of white on the glass display cases that were still intact. A number of brick fragments were still rolling, causing the kidnappers to hop out of the way. One oaken beam had fallen, clouting an unsuspecting gunman on the head and taking him out of the action.

The remaining thugs were frantically looking for the best place to take a stand. The hostages were hiding under a sturdy countertop, arms clasped firmly around their heads.

**_Fumo. Fumo fumo fumo. Fumo Fumoffu! Fumo! Fumo fumo._**

Sousuke shook his head. He fought the urge to slap his forehead again. He threw the necessary switch.

"Your compatriots in the bank put up a fight. They threatened the hostages." Sousuke paused dramatically. "They're all dead now." He paused again. "_Disassembled_ might be a better term."

_Hopefully that would get them to think._

"BULL..._SHIT."_ That eloquent speaker, shaved head and all, was no doubt the leader of this bunch. "You cops don't off people. You don't splatter them all over the scenery. Just how stupid do you think we _are?"_

"A.I. Kneeshot. Now."

**_AYE_**

A shot rang out, the aim accurate. A knee and surrounding tissue disintegrated in a swarm of steel pellets. _"ARRRggghhh..."_ was all that the wit had to say _this _time. His submachine gun skittered across the tiled floor as he fell screaming.

Sousuke amped up the volume.

"I...am...**_not_**...the...police. Let's see just how mentally challenged you are...!" He held the A.S.'s weapon over its head.

**_THAT IS CORRECT. HE IS THE CREATOR. HE IS THE SA-_**

Sousuke slammed his hand down, killing the volume. He did _not_ need to have to deal with an overly enthusiastic A.I. at a time like this.

_He did not want his identity known._

"A.I., refrain from unprompted discourse. That is a priority one directive."

**_YES, CREATOR_**

Sousuke thought he was imagining things. The tone had changed. It wasn't possible to have a dejected A.I., _was_ it?

"Well, you sanctimonious son of a bitch, you can call _me_ 'The destroyer!'" A large-boned squat man, wearing a patch-embroidered leather vest, brought up an RPG-7. They had certainly come prepared.

_The rocket propelled grenade fired._

**_"Damn!_**" Sousuke made a quick decision. Dropping the gun, he crouched the BK-M5 fully, and extended the right arm to its maximum length. He let the gun fall. He was betting his life on the blast characteristics of the first generation Soviet weapon and the sturdiness of his machine.

_If he had rolled out of the way, the grenade would have passed into the bank, killing many of the prior captives and the arriving medical attendants. _

Palm forward, he swatted at the projectile.

The explosion tore off the Arm Slaves right arm. The BK-M5 fell heavy to the ground. Out of the corner of his eye, Sousuke could tell that the roses were still safe. But, he had more pressing matters. The victorious thief was reaching into his satchel, most likely preparing to reload.

"A.I. Get this crafty on its feet. now!"

**_AFFRMTIVE CREATOR. STNDING N-N-NOW. SYS FAILRE LKLY. TWO MIN MAX. MAX. MAXMUM._**

Sousuke was glad that the A.I.'s comments were not externalized. Time was important again. He would not survive if he triggered the slow-opening hatch. There were too many guns pointed in his direction. He could probably survive any number of hits from rocket propelled grenades, but it looked as if the manufacturer had cut costs by installing equipment with low shock tolerance.

_He would be trapped inside, safe but impotent._

"I **_am_** the king!" The large-boned man was bringing up another RPG-7. "Lets tear him up, ladies!" The other thugs brought up their weapons and fired on the Arm Slave.

**One spread of shotgun pellets decapitated two of the remaining roses.**

Sousuke located well-dressed man, perhaps the shop owner or a store manager. He externalized his voice.

"Here. Take care of these. _As if your life depended on it!"_ He moved his left arm, causing the Bonta-kun to throw the two remaining flowers to the man, who caught them in trembling fingers. Quickly, he placed them in a blast-proof strong box and closed the lid.

Sousuke felt much better now.

Finally, he could fight with out constraints. No need to hold back any longer.

Grabbing the severed right mechanical limb with the left one, Sousuke brought it around with tremendous force. Two men were bounced off of the rear wall, landing in awkward crumpled heaps. Both twitched spasmodically. The large-boned man was flung hard against the very same wall, followed closely by the right limb. Arm and man crashed **_through_** the wall. Nuts, bolts, computer chips, and wire fragments spilled out onto the floor, accompanied by a waterfall of small intestines, spleen pulp, and a steady stream of blood.

"The king is dead. Long live the king!" Sousuke had the A.S. pick-up the shotgun in its left hand. It was close to being empty.

**It was not a problem.**

The surviving transgressors stood up, hands placed behind their heads. It's good to be the king, Sousuke thought.

The store manager placed a call to the police outside. He retrieved Sousuke's two remaining roses for him, afraid to ask his unseen savior why they were so important. Thinking fast, he wrapped a _'Buy one piece of jewelry get an equally priced item for free' _coupon around the stems. Emotionally exhausted, he bowed towards the strange looking fighting machine.

**_SYS FAIL SOON. SRRY CRTR. SRRY_**

As law enforcement officers rushed into the jewelry store to apprehend the criminals and check on the condition of the captives, Sousuke ignored their requests for communication and ran the BK-M5 out of the shop and towards a nearby wooded park. The lights were flashing on and off. Blurry uninterruptible images danced across the computer screen and were gone.

The gyros gave out, followed by the air handling system and the master hydraulics. There was just enough power left to open the hatch half-way, after the Bonta-Kun A.S. fell to the ground, ending up on its side.

_Sousuke left the scene unwitnessed. No one followed his trail._

Sighing, he sat under a thickly planted arbor, unaware of the occasional small drops of water than dripped on his head, shoulders, and back.

Two roses left. Out of twelve.

_But, at least that was two more than he had started out with._

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Despite the steady downpour, some type of event was in full swing at the park.

Sousuke could hear festive music, even though he could not yet see the source. Darting from tree to tee, trying to preserve the flowers as best he can, he noted that the rain was slowing.

_The wind had died down._

When the rain stopped entirely, he followed the path through the park. One large gazebo held a brass band and string accompaniment. Another open shelter housed a group of revelers.

**The sound of clinking glasses could be heard, along with laughter.**

That should be my glass and Kaname's, he thought. It should be our laughter. He looked at his watch. It wasn't really all that late, taking into consideration everything that had happened. His spirits began to climb again.

_It would be good to see Kaname._

Approaching a long bank of fanciful iron benches, Sousuke heard another sound. _Sobbing._ Someone was definitely crying. After passing by one third of the seats, he saw a young boy curled up in the fetal position, one hand across his eyes, and the other hand curled into a tight fist.

"Are you hurt or lost? Do you require assistance?" Sousuke approached the boy slowly, not wanting to frighten him.

The boy slowly sat up. For a moment, Sousuke's appearance distracted him from his own problem.

"You been in a _accident_, mister?" Sousuke certainly looked the worse for wear.

"You could say that." Sousuke sat down next to the boy, nodding his head. "But, I am unharmed. Why were you crying?"

'Were' was an incorrect term.

**The boy's tears fell again, coursing down his reddened face. **

"It's Mama. She's very sick. Very _very_ sick. It's Val-tine's Day. I wanted flowers. She should have flowers." He opened his clenched hand. It held a few small coins. A bottle cap. A number of red tickets from a game arcade. "Not _'nough_ money." The items fell as the boy put his head down in his hands, body shaking as he came perilously close to falling off the bench.  
_  
Sousuke felt very uncomfortable._

He could give the boy some money, but he shouldn't be wandering too far on his own. And, he did **_not_** want to encourage the boy to take money from strangers. There must be something he could do to help.

There was. It was OK.

**One rose was as good as two.**

"You are very fortunate to have a mother to love. I am sad that she is sick. You can have one of my flowers." Before he handed the boy the rose, he gave him a short lecture on personal safety.

Smiling, the boy hurried away towards home, skipping and humming a happy little tune.

_For the first time that day, Sousuke felt as if he had really accomplished something._

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

With each block he traveled, Sousuke did not lack for company. Memories from the day's events walked with him.

A clumsy girl in a flow shop. Punks, paintball, and pizza. A crazed martial artist. The very weather itself. A tragic accident. A boy, a ball, and near tragedy. Trapped criminals, and hostages at risk. A sick mother and a caring son.

Any **_one_** of those would have made for a memorable afternoon. The _mujahideen_ who raised him were rife with superstition and fatalistic thinking. He never gave such matters any thought.

**Maybe he should.**

Slow and steady wins the race. Finally, the street signs were the onesthat he saw every day. He was getting very close to his apartment. In his younger days, he would have known exactly how many footsteps remained before he would be at his door.

The winds suddenly picked up again. So did the thunder. It was getting dark.

_Very dark._

The rain returned. Light at first, then heavy.

_Soon enough, it was very heavy._

Sousuke spied a telephone kiosk. It might serve two useful purposes. He could call Kaname. And, if no one showed up needing to make a call, he could spend a few moments out of the rain, seeing if it looked like things might blow over any time soon.

He dialed Kaname's number. There was no answer on the first try. He was no more fortunate on the second or third attempts.

Reaching into his pocket for more coins, Sousuke braced himself. The kiosk was actually shaking. Looking out the window, he saw large trees bending over. Umbrellas rode the wind. Stop lights swung wildly.

He tried his own number. Kaname had a copy of the key and could be waiting for him _there._

**Again, no answer.**

Four loud snapping noises could be heard. Sousuke had no reason to know that it was the bolts holding down the nearby street light. No longer anchored, the huge metal pole fell straight for the telephone booth.

If Sousuke hadn't looked up through the glass roof when he did, he would have died right there and then. Jumping out past the folding door, he rolled into the flooded street just as the heavy post shattered the kiosk.

As soaked as he could possibly be, Sousuke picked himself off of the ground. His hand hurt. Thorns were stuck everywhere. Bringing the injured hand up, he saw what was left of the rose. Its stem had snapped in half. It was dripping water. The petals' attachment seemed tenuous at best.

_He didn't know what to feel. He had no idea how long he stood there._

"Sousuke, is that for me?"

He turned ever so slowly, not trusting his ears. He had taken a blow to the head on the door frame.

**It was Kaname.**

Her oversized yellow umbrella contrasted with her wet blue hair and fuzzy pink pull-over. Her eyes looked concerned. She didn't know what to think of the crushed kiosk or Sousuke's proximity to it.

There was a lot that he wanted to say. He simply held out the remnant of that final flower.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Kaname. I love you."

"Thank you, Sousuke."

She couldn't help but see his condition. There was no way she could guess just what he had been up to, or what he had been through. She was not certain she **_wanted_** to know. Her woman's intuition told her that it had something to do with the rose.

She smiled.

Sousuke was very predictable in most things. When he bought flowers, he bought them by the dozen. That must be some tale.

The young soldier almost collapsed in relief. He _did_ fall into a shallow pool of water after hearing Kaname's next words.

"You know Sousuke, I **_am_** getting a bit tired of roses..."

"Kaname?" His voice barely made it past his lips.

Kaname smiled. Seeing the look on Sousuke's face, she couldn't carry the jest any further.

"I was just kidding, Sousuke. This flower looks like it has quite a story to tell. I don't remember **_ever_** getting a more precious present. I love you too, you know..."

Sousuke was slowly developing an impish streak of his own. Still seated, he performed a textbook leg sweep, catching Kaname in his arms when she landed with a huge splash. Pulling her close, he planted a long and deep kiss square on her lips.

_A few minutes later, when they were both bowled over by a huge wave of water kicked up by a speeding tractor trailer, neither seemed to care_.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

**THE END**


End file.
